The time is definitely upon us for Christmas gift buying and festive cheer.

This year we only have two winter craft fairs (see our craft fair page for information) although the Holkham Hall shop is open every day until Christmas for the first time and will also be stocking our goodies.

We were brought an 8ft cast bronze crane in a very sorry state. It was missing it's lower mandible which we were to replace. We looked at forging it but getting a small piece of silica bronze of the right size was too tricky.

In the end I whittled a wooden beak out of hardwood and cast it in an open faced green sand mould, and fettled it to its final shape. Some light TIG welding with bronze filler rod and a couple of coats of toumaline patinated the new to match the old.

We were commissioned to make a pair of spiral candlesticks, the clever part being that the holder can wind up the spiral as the candle burns down (design brought to us by the clients, based on an example they saw elsewhere). They are made to take 7cm diameter candles and are now off to grace a table in France.

We've been welding up the forged parts of the boughs and branches and adding on the plasma cut leaves. This is a shot of the back of the trees just before we TIG welded it together, followed by one of it welded up. Now for the cleaning and copper leaves...